RITCHIE: HELP ME COLLECT “CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR OUR TROOPS”

State Senator Patty Ritchie is once again partnering with Ogdensburg native and radio personality Melody Burns and asking people to join their effort to send holidays greetings to soldiers through “Christmas Cards for Our Troops.”

The initiative—which is being organized through Albany’s Veterans Miracle Center—collects holiday cards, personally signed by donors, to distribute to members of the military at veterans’ hospitals, army installations and other locations to let them know they are remembered and appreciated during this special time of year.

“Our troops make so many tremendous sacrifices in the name of protecting our freedom, and among the most significant of those sacrifices is spending long periods of time away from loved ones—especially during the holiday season,” said Senator Ritchie.

“Throughout the years I’ve been proud to see so many people from throughout Central and Northern New York join with me to send greetings to soldiers during the holidays.  I’m hoping that once again this year we can all join the spirit of the season and spread cheer to the brave men and women who have given so much to our country.”

Those interested in participating are asked to follow the below guidelines:

• Do not include envelopes;
• Do not include personal letters, photos or inserts of any kind;
• Include your name/organization’s name and address with each bundle of cards;
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member,” as cards addressed to specific individuals cannot be delivered through this program; and
• Avoid cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.

Once signed, cards must be sent or dropped off to Senator Ritchie’s offices by November 16th:

Watertown: 317 Washington Street, Room 418, Watertown, NY 13601

Oswego: 46 East Bridge Street, 1st Floor, Oswego, NY 13126

Ogdensburg: 330 Ford St., Basement, Ogdensburg, NY 13669

This marks the fourth year Senator Ritchie has teamed with Melody Burns to send holiday greetings to troops.  Last year through the partnership, more than 120,000 cards were sent.